$18M Settlement in IHS Doctor Abuse Case

$18M Settlement in IHS Doctor Abuse Case

Introduction

The federal government has finalized an $18 million settlement with 12 victims who were sexually abused by a former Indian Health Service (IHS) doctor who worked in Montana and South Dakota.

The agreement marks another chapter in a decades-long scandal that exposed deep failures within the federal agency responsible for providing health care to Native American communities.

Background on the Indian Health Service

The Indian Health Service, a federal agency under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is tasked with delivering medical care to members of federally recognized tribes. Despite its mission, the IHS has been chronically underfunded and has faced longstanding criticism over the quality of care and internal oversight within its facilities.

Years of Abuse Across Two Reservations

The doctor at the center of the case served as a physician on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana from 1992 to 1995, and later at an IHS facility on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota from 1995 until 2016. Over this period, he abused numerous young Native American boys under his care.

In 2018, he was convicted of abuse in Montana, and the following year, he was convicted again in South Dakota for similar crimes. He is now serving multiple life sentences in federal prison for his offenses.

Leadership Failures and Ignored Warnings

A 161-page independent report, commissioned by IHS in 2020, detailed how the doctor’s misconduct persisted for decades despite repeated warnings. According to the report, IHS leadership was aware of his suspicious behavior but chose not to intervene.

“As would happen throughout his career, the doctor’s accusers were targeted by management and his position protected,” the report stated. Even after suspicions of pedophilia surfaced on the Blackfeet Reservation, the doctor was transferred to Pine Ridge, where he continued working for more than 20 years.

The report concluded that leadership failures were driven by a desire to avoid controversy: “Leadership wanted the warnings about the doctor to be untrue because, if they were true, they would have to take steps that would be awkward, arduous, inconvenient, messy, and embarrassing.”

Legal Settlements and Federal Accountability

The recent $18 million agreement follows several previous lawsuits filed against the federal government. The victims’ attorney said that, in total, about $32.5 million has now been recovered for 20 individuals who suffered abuse at the hands of the same doctor.

“These are some of the most egregious violations of trust we’ve ever handled,” the attorney said, emphasizing that his firm specializes in sexual abuse cases. “We’re talking about some of the most vulnerable people being exploited by someone in a sacred position of trust—and, worse, enabled by superiors who knew the danger he posed.”

Ongoing Impact on the Blackfeet Community

The trauma inflicted by the doctor continues to reverberate across the Blackfeet Nation. A Blackfeet Tribal Councilmember said survivors still struggle with mental health issues and deep mistrust toward IHS.

“This whole doctor issue is still here,” he said. “I have constituents who are afraid for their children being treated by IHS. They ask, ‘How do we know this won’t happen again?’ The question is why IHS didn’t report this when they knew.”

Continued Tensions Between Blackfeet Nation and IHS

The Blackfeet Nation’s relationship with IHS remains strained. Tribal leaders have accused the agency of failing to make amends, noting that in 2019, an IHS director promised to build a wellness center to help heal the community—a promise that has not been fulfilled.

Frustration grew in June 2023, when the tribe declined a visit from then–IHS Director Roselyn Tso, citing a lack of progress on the project. By November 2023, tensions escalated further as the tribal council called for the removal of several IHS leaders, accusing them of neglecting the tribe’s needs and failing to provide meaningful support.